


Press Restart

by HavocRoyale



Series: We're All Stars [1]
Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: Apologies, F/F, Gen, Reconciliation, in fact I'm not sure I've seen any, let Regina apologize to Gretchen you cowards, there's not nearly enough content of Gretchen getting the apology she deserves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-21 23:38:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17651870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HavocRoyale/pseuds/HavocRoyale
Summary: Cautiously, Regina took both of Gretchen’s hands in one of her own. She could feel Gretchen tense up at her touch.“Gretch, I wanted to apologize.”“You already have, Regina.”“Yeah, when I was high on pain medication,” She playfully nudged her friend, “I wanted to do it right. When I could actually know what I’m saying...so you know that I mean it when I tell you that I’m sorry.”





	Press Restart

**Author's Note:**

> Gretchen deserves an apology. Like really badly. No one seems to be writing one, so I did.
> 
> Also technically takes place in We're All Stars verse but can be read separately, it's kind of all encompassing yunno. But it happens pre-Art Freaks v. The Plastics

 Maybe this was a bad idea.

 She knows half the reason Gretchen even shows up to her house after school to help is because without fail she’s almost always high on pain medication. And therefore is always much nicer than she was for the past four years. But yesterday her doctor said she could start cutting down how often she took them and changed the dosage even to something smaller. Plus she wasn’t in hardly any pain at the moment, so she had no reason  _ to _ take the medication yet.

 Even more important was that Regina really needed to apologize to Gretchen and she didn’t want to be high for that. She needed to be able to think clearly and know what she’s doing.

 Technically she needed to apologize to a lot of people.  _ Like a lot. _ But she hasn’t had the chance to go back to Northshore yet and she’s barely left the house at all. And while she needed to apologize to many people, there’s some people who need it a little more than others, or at least some people who’ll care more about it. She made a whole list of people, it was the first thing she did with her therapist.

 At the top of her list was her mom. Because she lived with her and she took care of her and Regina had treated her terribly for longer than she did most others. The next two people were Gretchen and Janis Sarkisian, which Regina actually spent the most time deciding who to put second. Ultimately the fact that she’d have sooner access to apologize to Gretchen than Janis, and the fact that  _ technically _ the years of crap Janis got for being gay only started with her, meant that Gretchen was a higher priority.

 That sounds pretty bad...she’s not saying she holds no guilt or responsibility for what Janis went through, but all she did was kick the first domino down and she fully intends to apologize for that...eventually.

 Right now though, she needed to focus on Gretchen. Her friend texted her letting her know that she was leaving the school now, Regina  _ could _ tell her that she didn’t take her meds. But that runs the risk of Gretchen changing her mind and not showing up…

_ One little white lie for the greater good is okay. Gretchen would forgive her for that...hopefully. _

 She heard the unmistakable sound of the front door opening. It always seemed to echo softly in the large house, “Regina? I’m here!”

 Even though Gretchen couldn’t see her yet, Regina nodded in response and pulled her phone out to shoot a text to said friend.

**Queen Bee-Ouch:** Could you grab me a water before you come up here? I haven’t taken my meds yet.

 It was only a partial lie, she wouldn’t be taking her meds at all today if everything went well. Gretchen never sent her an affirmative but she did have a water bottle in one hand when she walked into the bright pink bedroom.

 “Why haven’t you taken your meds, yet?” She was scared, Regina could tell. It showed in her body language, in her eyes, in her voice.

 She had to approach this topic carefully…

 “Doctor said I could start weaning off of them. And I haven’t been in any pain really since I woke up…”

 Gretchen walked slowly, like she was still deciding if she wanted to bolt or not, “Oh…okay.”

 Regina watched as her friend sat awkwardly and stiff on the edge of her bed, handing her the water bottle and completely focused on picking at her nails. She did that a lot, Regina supposed it was a nervous tick, guilt settled in her chest. A nervous tick that she never had when they were younger, Gretchen probably picked it up because of her at some point.

 Cautiously, Regina took both of Gretchen’s hands in one of her own. She could feel Gretchen tense up at her touch.

 “Gretch, I wanted to apologize.”

 “You already have, Regina.”

 “Yeah, when I was high on pain medication,” She playfully nudged her friend, “I wanted to do it right. When I could actually know what I’m saying...so you know that I mean it when I tell you that I’m sorry.”

 Gretchen stayed silent.

 With a huff Regina continued, “I was a  _ really _ shit friend to you and I used your anxiety and insecurities against you and I used your loyalty against you and-”

 She stopped. Gretchen was shaking ever so lightly, if Regina didn’t still have a hand in her lap, she might not have noticed at all. She was  _ crying _ , she was crying and Regina had barely even begun her whole apology that she’d planned and rehearsed over and over. Maybe rehearsing and scripting an apology made it feel less genuine to others, but it helped. She needed to feel in control and without some sort of guidelines, Regina was sure she’d mess up.

 Then again, she didn’t plan on Gretchen crying.  _ Somehow. _

 At first she didn’t say anything, she just sat still, hand holding Gretchen’s hands still, as her friend cried quietly beside her. Apologies couldn’t be farther from her skill tree, this was a lot harder than she expected it to be.

 If she didn’t have this stupid spinal halo, maybe she’d attempt to hug her friend, but it’s kind of hard when you can only turn so much without extreme pain. Instead she just slid closer and placed a hand on Gretchen’s shoulder, awkwardly patting her.

 “It was pretty fucked up. And I understand if you...don’t want to actually stick around or sit with me at lunch when I’m back at Northshore because honestly? No one in their right mind would still be my friend after everything. Like I’m sure everyone who’s not going to be avoiding me like the plague, is just going to be pitying me or trying to get something from me.”

 “It really was pretty messed up,” Gretchen let out a hoarse laugh, “But...you are going to change right?”

 Regina cackled, it hurt a lot but she refused to let Gretchen see her wince. Not now. Not yet, “God, yes. I know I have to change. If I don’t...if I don’t I might lose my best friend again.”

 Gretchen looked at her, eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

 “You’re like...literally my best friend, Gretch. Like you have noooooo idea how much I appreciate you and I really didn’t show it and I just..,” Regina’s grip on Gretchen’s shoulder tightened, sure she had scripted everything she wanted to say but now...actually saying it? She wasn’t sure she could. It doesn’t matter if she can, she  _ has _ to, so she does her best to puff out her chest and put off an air of confidence that’s she sure she lost long ago and continues, “I lost Janis because of my own shitty behavior and choices. I don’t want to lose you too.”

 Gretchen quickly started crying harder, full on sobbing. She threw herself onto Regina and pulled her into a hug as she just cried into her shoulder. The sudden weight hurt, it hurt  _ a lot _ , but Regina didn’t want to ruin the moment because she’s pretty sure if Gretchen is crying more, then she probably already fucked it up. Instead of speaking up or pushing Gretchen off of her, Regina just awkwardly patted her back some. 

 After a long while Gretchen pulled away, wiping the excess tears off of her face with her sleeve and sniffling, but she  _ was _ smiling. Which Regina hoped was a good sign for herself as selfish as that may be.

 “Thank you, Regina,” She took Regina’s hands in her own and moved to stand in front of her, probably so Regina could better look her in the face, “Like really, thank you. Like...all I ever wanted was for us to just be normal friends and do girl things and like gossip and yknow all of that stuff!”

 Regina has never been more content to have sucked up her own pride for the sake of anyone else. Then again, the apology was partly for herself as well, but mostly for Gretchen. For her friend, her  _ best _ friend even.

 “Right. Right, so...are we cool then?”

 “Well...you apologized, and I’ll be honest while I would  _ love _ to just forgive and forget, but we both have stuff we need to work on, ‘Gina…”

_ Okay, so maybe she was a little right. _

 “But, you’re in therapy and you’re trying to get better. And my parents said we’re gonna try and look into getting me put into some kinda therapy or something for my anxiety as well and everything. So maybe...we can just...forgive and like...work together?” Gretchen was fidgeting again, softly hopping from foot to foot and clinging to Regina’s hands to avoid picking at her own.

 Regina smiled and nodded, “That sounds fetch.”

 She swears she’s never seen Gretchen’s smile beam quite as bright before that.


End file.
